Embedded Files
Financial Aid
Financial Aid
FAFSA UPDATES
FAFSA UPDATES
The Office of Federal Student Aid has been making updates to the FAFSA for the 2024-2025 application. These changes are coming from the the FAFSA Simplification Act from 2020. Two major changes that this act has created are your FSA ID and the date the application opens.
Many colleges and universities are either requiring students to complete the FAFSA in order to sign up for classes or they are offering admissions scholarships for students who complete the FAFSA and send their report to the respective school. Make sure that you are staying up to date on the FAFSA process and knowing when the form opens.
FSA ID Change
FSA ID Change
You will need one FSA ID for the student and one for at least one parent/guardian. Your FSA ID's must be set up and verified BEFORE you file the FAFSA. The process of setting up your FSA ID will take about 15 minutes and it should be verified in one to three business days. Below is the link to create your FSA ID.
FAFSA Launch Date
FAFSA Launch Date
The Office of Federal Student Aid announced that the 2024-2025 FAFSA will open BY December 31, 2023. You can get more updates and information from studentaid.gov or from ICAN Succeed.
Other Changes
Other Changes
There are going to be other changes to the FAFSA, below is a list of some of the changes that you can expect.
Multiple parents or a student's spouse may need an FSA ID
Parents are divorced/separated- parent that fills it out is the one that provides the most financial support
Number of Colleges that can be listed are now 20 instead of 10
No longer any exemptions for business/farm assets
Student Aid Index (SAI) instead of Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
Number in college will be asked but no longer in the SAI formula
Student/Parent(s) Contributors will now complete their own sections
Results from the FAFSA will now be called FAFSA Submission Summary instead of Student Aid Report (SAR)
More information can be found at the following links
ICAN Succeed
ICAN Succeed
ICAN Succeed is a free resource for students and families to use to help ease the transition between high school and college. ICAN Succeed has resources ranging from career planning to college planning to financial aid resources. One great resource they have helps families fill out the FAFSA. Below are buttons that will take you to their FAFSA help websites.
Step-by-step guide to FAFSA from Stand Out College Prep that walks students and families through each question of the FAFSA, including screenshots and explanations and a FAQ page for students with special circumstances.
In order to complete FAFSA both the student and the parent/guardian will need to create a FSA ID. This ID will be used as your log in information for FAFSA and you will need to keep it throughout your time in college.
Here is the link to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
This website contains information about financial aid and other scholarship opportunities within the state of Iowa.
This site has a lot of great resources to help you get all the information you need when paying for college. The site has information on grants and scholarships, loans, how to pay for college, how to choose the right college, and much more.
Scholarships
Scholarships
Going Merry
Going Merry
Going Merry is an online scholarship engine that makes the scholarship search easy. On Going Merry you'll find scholarships specific to your school and local region as well as all of the national ones. After you sign up, they will instantly match you to thousands of scholarships to help pay for college. All for free. Below is a scholarship table from Going Merry that lists some scholarships that are available now. You can also click the button below to create your own account to get updates and to apply for scholarships.
Stand Out College Prep
Stand Out College Prep
Directory of 100+ scholarships in the state of Iowa, broken down by month. This website also has other resources for learning how to pay for college and other resources.
Scholarship Essays
Scholarship Essays
Here are some helpful links that can help you write the best scholarship essay. If you still have trouble creating your essays, don't be afraid to take your essay to a teacher, parent, or friend to look over.
10EssayTopics.pdfResume Building
Resume Building
Here are some helpful pdfs to help you build your own resume.
ResumeGuidelines.pdfresume_basics.pdfCover Letter
Cover Letter
Here are some helpful tips to help you create your own cover letter.
resume_cltutorial.pdfStrengths Based Resumes and Cover Letters_3 (dragged).pdfPage updated
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